
Now I do realise that indieBerries of late has been a bit of a "sentimental journal-fest". I've been holding out for our professional wedding pics to share more of the wedding DIYs and wedding ideas and our wedding photographer is currently in Croatia shooting a wedding - So until we've recieved the pics you will have to deal with all the soppy-personal-sentimentalness that is going on over here.
But this is what I've figured -
until someone decides to pay me to write indieBerries (UM. HELLO. HERE I AM) I have to keep asking myself the question - "why do I blog?"
Yes, of course, I absolutely love hearing from readers and receiving tweets, emails and messages from commenters who have been inspired/moved or had a good LOL at an indieBerries post - and for the large majority - it is these readers/commenters/followers that drive me to continue blogging and to deliver fresh new content as often as I can.
But mainly, indieBerries is the little personal account of my life. Ten years from now when my (un-conceived) child asks why I suddenly stopped blogging all the 'good-sentimental-personal-memoirs-for-the-grandkids' posts - I don't want to have to reply with a
"Um. well. I guess i didn't want to scare the people off with all my soppiness."
So - while indieBerries is still a little personal indie blog, you will have to bear with me as I'm going to be sharing

Because for today - I would like to share some moments that I've had with my big little-brother.
* * * * *
I've always had a very good relationship with the little brother. I call him my big little brother because he is and I'm his little big sister, because I am. It's complicated: keep up. A few years ago - we went backpacking together through South East Asia which was an awesome adventure and one which not many people are able to say they have experienced with their siblings. We had crazy-ass-vietkong nightmares and we laughed a lot together. We learnt a lot about each other and have come out better for it on the other side.

Long before the wedding I knew I wanted to get something for Blake-the-brother to make him feel special on our big wedding-day. I found some (cheesy) cufflinks with "brother-of-the-bride" on them which I gave to him on the Friday morning before the wedding -


(does it look like he's just woken up? Yep. He probably has.
-The morning before the wedding.)
-The morning before the wedding.)

(even though these pics are all a blur fest- I am so grateful to whichever bridesmaid picked up my camera to snap these precious moments. I love all them all!)

(testing out the cufflinks)

Blake is also one of those guys who has his own unique vibe going on. {Like the time he made me get him a luminous green tailored shirt in Vietnam. And by luminous, I mean luminous: I don't ask questions}. I knew he would want something a bit fun/quirky for the wedding - so I decided to get him a cute bow-tie to wear with his suit -


I gave it to him the Friday before the wedding to see if he liked it
...and if it went with his whole get-up

I think he loved it.

The morning of the wedding, while I was having my hair and make-up done, the little brother kept popping upstairs in the Netherwood house - checking on me and all the activity that was going on in the bridal preparations -

I didn't realise that he was nervously popping up and down the stairs - waiting for me to be "ready-enough" and to be able to catch in a moment when I was as alone as possible -
He brought through a tray of champagne to me and all the bridesmaids which he handed through the door and he waited for as long as he could for all the wedding hustle and bustle to quieten to an anxious simmer before he crept into the room where all the girls had been getting (and were finally) ready -

just to come and ask me to put on the bow tie that I had bought for him


it was such a special moment -
Thank you for letting me have the absolute honour, my big little brother -

I love you more than anything.

Since Im the oldest - I've never really thought toooo much about what it must be like to have an older sibling be married. A few days before the wedding I remember Blake telling me how happy he was for me - but also how sad he was for him - because it would never just be us "brother-and-sister" ever again. He did make an awesome speech on the wedding night about "not losing a sister, but gaining a brother" - but I guess that's not really ever the same. Thoughts?
* * * * *
Blake is also apparently very cheap slave labour,
According to the law of indieBerries.
lol
lol